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This is the last stand… a swan song if you will, for I’ve packed my bags once and for all. After careful consideration of all the options, I made the decision to uproot and move to a new patch of cyber real estate. I’ve finally streamlined the process for a more user friendly experience and a much more attractive feel. There’s still lots of unpacking and such to accomplish, but I hope to do the ribbon cutting in a few weeks. Everything must be perfect. I can’t wait til it’s finished.

But for now, the show must go on… and it would still behoove you to keep watching this space.

This past Sunday proved to be the most fruitful surprise I could ever hope for. I was able to connect some very important dots that will possibly result in my one and only dream coming true once and for all.

The first thing to do is once and for all make my “presence” known on social media. That will happen with lots and lots of prerequisites. Then comes the painstaking task of once and for all restructuring my vinyl and virtual crates because the kit has to grow. I discovered that it’s not so necessary to sweat over being a purist at this point because the primary objective is to fill floors and rebuild my name in sticks.

With that said, indulge me in giving some shoutouts: first and foremost to the crew at The Gathering whose venture could prove to have lasting effects on the culture of my fair city. If you are anywhere in the Baltimore area this weekend, please pay a visit to the world famous M&T Bank Stadium and check out the taste of three cities culinary battle, simply put, a battle of the food trucks. 50 participants from Baltimore, Philadelphia and Washington D.C. vying for the title. Let’s not forget the music lineup, headlined by the Easy Star All Stars! A splendid family friendly time is guaranteed to be had by all. For info, visit thegatheringbaltimore.com Tickets for the affair can be purchased here…

Next, one for my esteemed mixcloud colleague Tarik Thornton, and because he knows JoeKopasek, HUGE shoutouts to him as well… and a extra loud shoutout to Cornflake Hill for letting me take the stand for an hour to share this mixtape with all of the folks who gathered at my best friend’s crib on that wonderful Sunday night. In my eyes, it was a magical evening.

Along with all these new changes come greater responsibility. From now on, mixes will be made available exclusively using the Mixcloud platform. This will forever eliminate the need to fear hearing from the health department, and hopefully give a little something back to those who were kind enough to make the music that I have shared over the years…

This is the start of something big. For all intents and purposes, I am a perfectionist. I have to be that way now. This opportunity will not slip through my fingers like sand without a fight. I’ve worked too hard…

And now for the big finish, because the possibilities are endless at this point. I’m also looking to put my toe in the pool of podcasting. potentially taking the fufu stew brand to new heights. I will reach out to all of my old friends in the hope that they may want to participate. I’ll give out more info on that endeavour real soon but for now I must move on to the next phase. With that said, thanks one and all for making the last seven years a real learning experience. I will see you all on the other side of the job but until then as always, have fun(k), and please be safe.

Peace and blessings.

“Like the phoenix coming back from the ashes, I know what’s good and I know what trash is…” -Martin Fry, et al

Yes, yes, I know… in the fight between real life and updating this space, real life has taken a commanding lead, so much so that I didn’t even notice it. In response to the comment left by santos curser, let’s begin with the most important piece of news: Another host server has gone the way of the dinosaur, thanks to the health department swooping in and shutting it down without warning. That truly sucks for me because I lost some prime shit that I’ll never recover, namely all the mixes I did dating back back to late 2010! Additionally, if you recall from last year’s opening post where I mentioned the damage I suffered when I lost an entire hard drive full of 45 rips to a bad click of the mouse, then you see the dilemma I face now. I want so bad to start from scratch, so that is the way I will start Twentyodd Fourteen. Happy anniversary to me, I suppose.

I am building a new site slowly but surely, but I haven’t decided how to go about restoring the hours and hours of mixes that made this blog so much fun for all of you to visit. The first order of business is to find a new server. I don’t see too many safe options on the horizon at this point because I refuse to play the cat and mouse game with the health department, but I do want to continue to share the fruits of my passion for mixtape creation with all of you. As it stands now, mixcloud will have to do unless something better comes along, or if I run across a windfall of cash. I will remain true to my word and never ask for or accept monetary donations, so at best, it will take some time.

The second order of business is to go about making new rips of the vinyl that I lost. Thankfully I still have the records, and even more so, I was blessed with two new sound cards that have more or less replaced my old method of ripping to a component CD writer. I was resisting the change because I found sound cards to lack a certain quality that only a component CD writer could obtain, but since both of my 10-year-old-plus writers took the inevitable shit at the same time, I was forced to accept the change after wearing out my legs from kicking and my lungs from screaming. I did some test runs with a few LPs that sound pretty good, especially after I applied higher bit and sample rates to them, so I feel comfortable with doing the same to my precious 45s. Again, it’s gonna take some time which is still at an all time low, but I will remain as vigilant as I can. As far as the old mixes go, some of them still exist on another drive so they may resurface at some point, but for now I have to hit the ground running and start anew.

In closing, I want to thank each and every one of you once again for all of your continued patience and patronage. I do plan to keep the fufu train rolling as long as I possibly can in one form or another so watch this space, or more important, follow me on mixclouduntil I can get my shit together. If you really want a mix re-upped, leave a comment and we’ll sort something out. Best wishes to all of you for 2014, have fun(k), and as always, please be safe.

The time has come once again to come out of hiding so to speak… now I can’t call it a comeback; to do so would be doing everyone a disservice. Additionally, I can’t say that it is another anniversary celebration, especially since I let that day pass without so mch as a whisper. Just like 2012, way too much has happened. Some good things, but mostly bad. I won’t elaborate though, for one can only beat the proverbial dead horse so much. We have certainly heard that phrase time and time again, I know I’ve said it more than enough times.

Just a bit of brief house cleaning (also referred to as my excuse for the lengthy hiatus): The computer equipment was out of commission for several months due to an unforeseen virus, and since I really do not want to invest in a new computer, I went through more trouble than necessary to get the proper restoration tools in order to get back up to 51 per cent speed. In the process of performing the restoration, I screwed up royally, resulting in the loss of over 200 gigabytes worth of prime 45 rips. That was a very distressing setback to say the least, but it only gives me more incentive to redo them so they sound even better. I started doing that several months back, but more on that in a future post, and yes, there will be a future post. I’m not quite sure when at this point, but it’s gonna happen.

Another one of the reasons for my apprehension about a full on return is I am on the hunt for another means to store the old recipes if they are still relevant at this point… I’m sure I have gotten a couple of visits from the health department regarding that matter, which should come as no surprise these days. While I’m thinking about it, I’ve gotta give huge jeers to a particular online payment service site for no longer accepting remittance for said storage means. These things, combined with the knowledge taken away from another break neck term of intense studying, and I have been given a little bit more incentive to finally ponder the future of this little piece of cyber-style real estate… as long as I can afford the luxury that is, and that hurdle seems to rise higher and higher with each passing second just like the national debt numbers. It should also come as no secret that the past year has not treated many folks well. It wouldn’t be sporting to revisit all the mayhem and the damage that it caused for way too many of us, but I want you all to know that you’ve been in my thoughts all along. One day we’ll get through the madness and come out on top. I’m praying the day will come sooner than later… think 2014, kids.

The one saving grace was that I managed to save the last mix I created just before the hiatus began. In it are some newly acquired nuggets from all the usual digging spots. Here’s my opportunity to give a shoutout to Gary and all the other fine vendors who successfully helped lighten my wallet at the fire hall as well. I don’t get to go digging as much as I’d like these days due to a pure lack of time and resources, so every chance that I get to bring new stuff home is definitely regarded as a treat. In addition, having moved to the city has been a blessing and a simultaneous curse. It’s certainly more difficult to get back to the old neighbourhood; what was once a five minute drive is now at best a half an hour! In any event, here’s the lion’s share of the relevant scores, with just the right amount of old friends that I always like to hear once in a while. It was just enough to make me smile each time I play it. I hope you enjoy it…

Now before I deal with the closing commentary, I do want to acknowledge the fact that there are many among us who were in one way or another affected by the events that took place a few weeks ago; I will not go into details, but you all know how I feel. For the families, I am saying countless prayers and will continue to make my voice heard at the voting booth… each and every chance I get! End quote!

Okay, to bring this little mini-reunion of sorts full circle, I have one last thing to say: fufu stew dot com (or a reasonable substitute at any rate), is closer to reality than ever before. It all depends on how well I progress over the next five weeks. I do know that the old posts have to go! Detail cleaning is going on as I type this. All of the 2007 posts have been set to private, so that I can assess whether they are worthy enough to leave intact and edit them accordingly at some point. I think the hopeful reward will definitely be worth the amount of inevitable risk involved. Please continue to watch this space. I am so thrilled that you all still find it somewhat cool to drop by for a plate after all these years. I hope to be able to continue keeping you well fed for a long time to come. Until the next time, have fun(k), and as always, please be safe.

Again, I didn’t expect the span of time between visits to be quite this long. So many things to factor in this time: the stress of another three month term in which I didn’t do quite as well as I wanted, power outages from the violent thunderstorms in June, a job which is forcing me to feel the effects of just how unstable this economy really is, and to top it all off, a computer that I had to put together with spit and a prayer. it’s easy to see how time can slip through your fingers like sand. I didn’t even get to play any records, much less, visit my mixcloud colleagues and friends. I must send a big shoutout to HeavySoulBrutha and Scapegoat for checkin’ in on a brotha. Your kind words are appreciated… and to those who prompted the good SoulBrutha to drop me an email which finally got me out of hiding, I say thanks to you as well. It’s gonna continue to be a tough road, but at least things are slow enough now to where I can finally sit down and play catch up on a number of fronts. My motivation levels may be at an all time low, but I gotta make a concerted effort to keep it moving…

So as not to get too long winded here, let’s get right to the heart of the matter. I’ve been wanting to do another AntiDivas mix for the longest time, so here goes… I had this one sitting in the queue which I had plan to post back in May before the inevitable shutdown began. It was somewhat of a response to the events that made up the senseless war on women being waged by certain legislators and aggravated by the media pundits. It wasn’t my intention to turn this into a soapbox moment, and for all intents and purposes it really isn’t. Basically it’s just some more of the new scores from the winter and a few old friends that just hit my fingers as I was filing through the crates, but I’d be remiss if I didn’t acknowledge how the systematic destruction of women’s civil liberties will affect the overall landscape of our society. The way certain people are acting is beyond comprehension. I’m sure that all of you have had enough already; I know I have. I have a message for those aforementioned: at the end of the day, it’s time that you get their shit together and come to the realisation that if not for women, none of us would be here, so just give them their proper respect already! With all that said, I dedicate this installment of AntiDivas to each and every woman in the world, with “…due respect” because as Mr. Allen Toussaint said, “…remember we all have mothers.”

First and foremost, I hope you all had a great weekend, you know, with Record Store Day and 4:20 day and all… and Earth Day too, imagine that! I sadly could not participate in the former for the obviously painful reasons… I won’t even comment on the latter. I do have a remedy for that though, I’ll get to that sooner than later, but allow me another quick indulgence if you will. It won’t disappoint, I promise.

I kinda got away from posting mixes with non-vinyl sources, and for good reason…they sound great and all, but the times have definitely changed in the land of blog over the past year. I kind of promised myself that I wouldn’t break out the soapbox too much, better yet, I wouldn’t let the soapbox get in the way of serving up the funky eats. Suffice it to say, the message is still very much in need of being spread, but there are so many out there that really tell the truth that very much needs to be heard. I hope you all can keep up with the Best of the Left podcast. It’s the best way to keep one angry enough… I’ll still do what I do in the name of doing my part though, and that’s the best I can do since I am clearly a victim of the madness.

Anyway, on to the meat of the conversation with another from the holidaze sessions.

This one was done around Thanksgiving of last year whilst hanging out with a friend and a bottle of something, most likely some sweet Belgian nectar… after much self doubt and (at the time) jonesing for some new 45’s. I was inspired to do it this way by a couple of my esteemed colleagues from the mixcloud fam. I’ve name-checked them before, sure, and will do so again in good fashion before too long. More on that in a bit…

In any event, this is the result. When the bottle was tipped, I was happy. It’s a collection of some great tunes that most of you should know well, and some you may not have heard in some years. It was also a means of free advertisment for the good folks at Freestyle Records. They also hold it down at Mixcloud too… check it out for some nice mixes and some exclusive ish from their rich catalog, and of course, please support their efforts if you are able. It’s also the answer to a question posed by the one called iDiO7 SAVAN7…I do owe a debt for the inspiration, the will to keep the soul a rollin’…

By request, I re-upped this post too. I will do the other two soon. it’s a good way to gear up for the next session. There’s no denying that it’s gonna be tough keeping it all together, all things considered, but I do intend to press on until an unforeseen inevitability comes along. Again, the best I can do. I intend to be back in some capacity though, so until then, have fun(k), and please be safe.

Just when I thought I’d find a great moment to do all the things that I wanted to do back before spring break, setbacks and lack of motivation rear their ugly head yet again. I may admit to the setbacks, but I will never admit defeat. With all that said, it’s time to get back up to speed here. I’ve got my seafood fix to a certain degree, the Flyers are in the playoffs and socking it to the Penguins, and there’s a few fleeting moments in between to keep the “stew” pot full (that little greeting was for Bill)…

Here is the first of four exercises that I did over the holidaze. All of the tracks except four were scored during a surprise downtown dig. I hadn’t been down to Fells Point in at least two years, so with an unexpected windfall of resources at hand (otherwise known as an early birthday present), I was able to return to my favourite spots, fill some more holes and discover some more real gems. I got so lucky. I finally got a chance to put it here for your enjoyment, either at your leisure, on demand with the little player thingie, or here…

not much in the way of closing commentary this time around, except to say that I hope to have the rest of the holidaze exercises up soon as well as a couple of new joints. It’s all in an effort to restore some sort of relevance ti this piece of cyber real estate for a while. Just watch and see. Until then, have fun(k) and as always, please be safe.

Spring has indeed sprung, quickly and without warning. With it, another respite, which I certainly plan to use wisely… Here’s the second session from the last fire haul. I answered the call of my esteemed colleague HeavySoulBrutha this time, not only because it’s lots of fun to hear good 45’s, but because he’s just an all around good joe. He’s been keeping it funky for five years and counting, so it’s always a pleasure to drop by his spot and share. Much respect, good brutha!

Thanks for allowing me to continue to do my thing. I know it ain’t much, but it’s all in my efforts to make getting through real life a little more tolerable. For everybody out there fighting the good fight, keep on pushing. Progress will progress. I’m confident. As always in parting, have fun(k), and please be safe.

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My pledge to you

Fufu Stew is and always be a not-for-profit venture, made possible with the help of many and the inspiration of a select few. I am doing it for the love; your positive feedback and acceptance is worth far more to me than a few dollars. Links to files will be made available for your consumption until normal issues (bandwidth, legalities, etc.) warrant otherwise. Thank you for choosing Fufu Stew.

Disclamer

As with any blog of this nature, it is well advised to say that any content featured here, visual, audible or otherwise, is done strictly for entertainment and promotion. Since most of the artists and songs represented here have been overlooked or just forgotten over time, a little respect wouldn’t hurt.
If you like what you hear, please go to your local mom and pop record shop or your favourite website and inquire since corporate record stores just don’t care about us anymore. However, if you are one of those legal types who object to any content featured here, a comment will remedy the problem quickly since I don’t have the time or the resources to fight you in court. Any and all comments on these matters can be made in the Disclaimer page by clicking the appropriate link in the sidebar.